Generally, most western saddles have rigging for employing both a front cinch and a flank cinch. The front cinch typically employed is a multiple-stranded strap which extends under the rib cage of the horse and is connected to the cinch strap of the saddle on the near-side (left side as viewed by rider) and the off strap on the off-side (right side as viewed by rider). A flank cinch is typically a leather strap which is connected to flank cinch billets. The flank cinch billets extend from either side of the rear portion of the saddle and the flank cinch passes under the belly of the horse to keep the rear portion of the saddle down and to keep the saddle in place on the horse. The flank cinch thus enables a rider to more easily stand in the stirrups and is essentially indispensable for roping and competitive events such as barrel racing.
A flank cinch is generally kept in a position forward on the horses belly and away from its legs by tying the flank cinch to the front cinch with a cinch connector strap. There are problems associated with the use of a flank cinch and connector strap including the possibility for the connector strap sliding to an off-center position which potentially permits loosening of the flank cinch. A more serious problem results if the connector strap breaks. Not only does the flank cinch loosen but also the flank cinch can contact the horse's rear legs which can make the horse buck and potentially injure the rider. In general, a flank cinch and connector strap may cause chafing and a flank cinch often cannot be tightened around the belly of the horse as securely as desired because the horse cannot endure great amounts of pressure in the flank area.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a cinch for a western saddle. It is a further object to provide a unitary cinch for a western saddle for providing the functions of both the front cinch and a flank cinch. It is another object of the present invention to provide a cinch for attachment to the flank cinch billets of the saddle which primarily fits under and applies pressure to the rib cage instead of the flank area of the horse.